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Checking out Ford's Racing Simulator

So this was my first experience on a full motion racing sim, and I was pretty impressed with how that extra layer of force feedback adds to the realism of the game. I've tried other rigs with vibration motors, and others with just a triple monitor setup, but this was just on another level of realism. Unfortunately, Ford's using rFactor 1 which happens to be a 10 year old sim, and while it doesn't exactly have the greatest graphics or physics in the world, it was still a great experience. I'd to have loved to tried this simulator with something more recent like rFactor 2, iRacing, or Assetto Corsa, but ultimately, the simulator is made my Mannetron, so I guess it's up to them to bring their software up to speed.

The simulator uses three hydraulic lifts and a rotation platform to provide the force feedback, and they're using a Logitech Z906 surround sound system, which is pretty common in these commercial sims. They also use a full size wheel, and while it does have paddle shifters, they aren't enabled. I was really impressed with how immersive this rig was though. I really felt like I was driving a car, and completely forgot I was sitting 6 feet off the ground surrounded by the latest and greats cars at the show. Not to mention the Focus RS was there and seeing it in person for the first time was great.

Being at the Ford booth, the race is one lap in a mustang against AI. I've never raced on this specific track so I don't know how well I finished, but I'm sure there's lots of room for improvement given a few more laps. It would have been nice for them to have a leader board so we could see how we did.